Monday, April 23, 2007

Those marathon details

He wasn't confident about his blood sugar levels and for several hours was doing blood tests every 10-15 mins and then hourly through the night.

Not ideal.

Sunday morning.

7.30am cab comes.7.42am G calls. He's virtually the first person on Blackheath! Unsurprising since he's 2 hrs early.7.47am G calls again. He's left his insulin here! Disaster! We rack our brains but can't think of any way to get it to him in time.8.09am Another call. He says there are more people arriving now and the atmosphere is building. He feels ok.8.21am Another call - to say his blood sugar is going up.9.05am Last call. He's just run 20 times around the field, brought his sugar down a bit but now it's on the way up again.

10.00am First Born, Little Guy and I leave home and get the bus to Westminster Bridge. 11.00am Take up usual position on Embankment 100m from Big Ben.12.15pm Meloney and family join us. (Mel ran the marathon in 2005 - they have always been a wonderful source of support. Thanks!)12.30pm Start looking out for G. If he's going to bust the 3 hr mark (remember he was less than 2 mins outside that last year) he needs to come through in the next 8 mins.12.40pm Accept he's not going to achieve his target.12.55pm Accept he's not going to beat 3 hrs 15 mins.1.10pm Or even 3 hrs 30 mins. Panic building now. Holding phone in hand (he has my mobile number on the back of his race number in case of emergencies). Something has gone badly wrong. But how bad??? Kids getting anxious and I can't reassure them.1.30pm Imagine for yourself!1.35pm Here he is! He stops. I've never seen him looking so ill. He has pain in his left hamstring, stomach cramps and he can't breathe. Not as in puffed out ... as in can't breathe!

Don't know if he needs insulin or sugar. Neither the Red Cross stations nor the ambulance he has approached have testing kits (!) and (rightly) they won't administer insulin. They can only offer to take him to hospital, which he refuses.(In previous years he has been able to get his sugar tested en route, which is why he hadn't carried his own testing kit.)

He insists he still wants to get to the end. We agree to meet as usual in Trafalgar Square.

Crisis! The police are stopping everyone from going down the subway! We are directed the long way round. We jostle through the crowds, trying to keep an eye on 5 kids but we can't cross the road! The marathon cuts us off. There's no way to get to Whitehall and up to Trafalgar Square.

I talk to another cop. It's an emergency. I have G's insulin in my bag - it's vital I get to him ASAP.

Cop: (shrugs) Nothing I can do.Me: But it's an emergency. He might have ketoacidosis (potentially life-threatening condition resulting from high sugar).Cop: You could talk to St John's Ambulance people.Me: How will that help? It's not me that needs the help! I just need to get across the road ...Cop: They have transport.

St John's Ambulance person: We don't have transport. We could radio ahead to the finish line ...Me: How will that help? I have his insulin ... SJA person: You could try going round to the crossing point ...

At this point Mel and co break off so I can concentrate on getting through with kids.

At last! A wonderful marathon marshall breaks down the barrier and shepherds us across the road weaving between the runners.

FB grabs the insulin and sprints down Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, where we all finally meet up. Everything is now in one place: testing kit, insulin, sugar - and Greg - and we can take back control and he can sort himself out.

He's very disappointed with his time (3 hrs 53 mins) of course - nearly an hour longer than his aim. But it's all part of the learning curve and I'm proud of the way he's handling it.

Most important of all, he's ok. That's the only thing that matters.

From his point of view, he still finished (with a sprint!) and has a 7th medal for his collection.

Out of 7 marathons, he has completed all well within 5 hrs, 6 within 4 hrs, 5 within 3.5 hrs and 3 within 3.25 hrs.Which ain't bad for a 49 yr old with diabetes!

Exactly. YOU raced a Marathon too ( AND with kids in tow!)And not just on the day, either.

My brother partakes regularly but missed this year.I hear the heat was amazing, more drinks drunk during the race than ever before. It was a SUPERB sight on TV ....streams of runners, the sprawl of London, its people, its colours..

Wow, bloody hell, you had m,e going with this; I really felt like I was there with you, rushing through the crowds, running with G. Well done to all. Now, spend a week at Minx's in her nice bathroom! :)

Congrats to Greg! He has shown dogged determination, as have you and your family in beating the crisis that bureaucracy brings.The best thing is knowing that he's ok - that's the most important thing in life. The very close second is that he completed and got his medal!Greg's a darling of inspiration and I'm pleased to have sponsored him.

If anyone's reading this who has not sponsored him so far, Debi says it's still open, so please give it a thought. Refuge was a ground breaking charity in its day of set up through the remarkable work of Erin Pizzey. It has developed since and continues to respond to those seeking refuge from domestic violence, protecting them and helping them to gain a new life, where they can be respected and find the true meaning of love in an adult relationship.

I was but a teenager when a ground breaking "Play for Today" was aired on the BBC about domestic violence. I came from a family where this was anathema to our way of life and the play was shocking in the extreme. Later, finding myself in Chiswick where the first Women's Aid Refuge was set up and having read Pizzey's "Scream Quietly or the Neighbours will Hear", I did what I could at the time to support them then.

Like many charities, the reason for their being is not nice to know about, but it is always a great feeling to be able to help in some small way, whatever you can manage. It would be great to see Greg's own contribution and determination to complete his commitment honoured further, if you can help, and donating through this online method is as easy as 1,2,3. (I managed it at the last moment before he ran and what a run!)